North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced Kevin Ford as chief information security officer (CISO). Ford, a native of Calvert County Maryland, brings more than a decade of experience overseeing information security and cyber-risk management practices for private and public sector clients, including the federal government and Fortune 100 companies.
Ford’s most recent role was CISO of CyberGRX in Denver, CO, one of the top cybersecurity start-ups in the nation, where he was responsible for expanding cybersecurity, privacy and risk management capabilities to protect the security information of over fifty thousand organizations, including Fortune 100 clients, from growing, global online threats. He previously served in senior consulting roles for Deloitte where he advised the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Indian Health Service, local governments, and multiple private sector customers on cyber-risk management initiatives and digital privacy, including development of NIST-compliant policies designed to bolster security and efficiency of business. Kevin also served as a member of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework development team and served as a cyber-risk manager for NASA.
He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in philosophy and history from the University of Maryland, where he also received a Master of Science in cybersecurity. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional with advanced certifications in cybersecurity and cybersecurity policy. He is also the recipient of a Deloitte Cybersecurity Graduate Award and a 2016 NASA Achievement Award.
“Kevin’s extensive experience managing cybersecurity and risk management practices for global companies and the federal government will help continue to enhance our ability to protect our state, our citizens and our systems,” said Riley. “Kevin’s deep, holistic knowledge of enterprise security is a great asset to our team and we’re looking forward to welcoming him and continuing to grow our whole-of-government approach to cybersecurity.”
“I’m excited to join an innovative team that is taking meaningful and important strides to enhancing its statewide information security posture,” said Ford. “I look forward to continuing to expand North Dakota’s IT security capabilities as well as its role as a national leader in cyberspace.”
Ford fills the role previously held by Sean Wiese, who has taken the Cyber Operations Center (CyOC) Lead position created in 2019. The new CyOC is part of North Dakota’s innovative, holistic approach to cybersecurity. The CyOC initiative reflects a proactive approach to cybersecurity and includes public/private partnerships and the initial phases of a first-in-the-nation, multi-state approach to cyber defense and response.
Kevin will begin his new role November 20.